Ninja! Attack of the Clan

Starred review from April 15, 2016
A young ninja seeks a worthy opponent, but his family is too busy to play.Chung (Ninja!, 2014) returns with a second comic-book-style tale about lovable, freckle-faced ninja Maxwell. Ready to tackle a challenger, Maxwell seeks an adversary in one of his family members. His mother is preparing dinner. His younger sister, Cassy, would rather play with her blocks. His father absentmindedly agrees to play hide-and-seek with him but forgets to look for Maxwell. Frustrated and bored, Maxwell meditates to find inner peace--unsuccessfully. When his mother calls him to dinner, he discovers an abandoned meal and his family hiding in wings. Three surprise attacks result in three epic battles--and one worthy opponent. Chung's modern family is Asian and white, and their dinner consists of miso soup and sushi rolls. His vibrant illustrations are playful and action-packed. The background colors of each panel reflect Maxwell's changing emotions: bright reds and yellows for excitement; browns for boredom; and grays for frustration. Readers should study Chung's illustrations closely for small details that add even more depth to his story. Maxwell's father is distracted because he's working on his taxes; Cassy's careful structure falls after her brother walks away. Readers will happily creep, meditate, and spar along with ninja Maxwell.A clever, laugh-out-loud story for a broad audience. (Picture book. 3-8)

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June 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 2-Ninja Maxwell is back, but he's not having such a great day. His mother and sister are worthy ninja opponents, but both are too busy to play. His distracted father says he'll play hide-and-seek, but to Maxwell's disappointment, he forgets to do the seeking part. A sad Maxwell works on his meditation and inner peace skills, but even that does not work out as planned. When he heads to dinner, things don't seem quite right. The dog is eating his soup, and no one is in sight until-surprise attack! His ninja clan attacks, to Maxwell's delight. He defeats his father despite the use of a Bear Hug. His mother is taken down by the Kiss of Death (actual lipstick kisses), which leaves only his elusive little sister. Just as Maxwell is about to take her down, she uses a time-honored tactic known to children everywhere. The vanquished Maxwell exclaims, "I've been licked." Chung employs the same successful combination of comic book panels in a picture book setting as he did in Ninja! VERDICT Despite a rather abrupt ending, this action-packed title is sure to be popular among ninja aficionados and where the previous one did well.-Catherine Callegari, Formerly at Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH

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